S4 E11: Driver's License?

In today's episode, Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker sit down again with Camille Gardiner who serves on the Board of Directors at the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida. Tune in as they share information on how to get students with disabilities a Driver's License. 

Have a question that you would like answered as well?  Call and leave us a question on our Google Phone (407) 900- 9305 or via social media on Facebook (Practical Access), Twitter (@AccessPractical), or Instagram (@Practical_Access)

Transcript

Lisa Dieker: 0:06

Welcome to practical access. I'm Lisa Dieker.

Rebecca Hines: 0:09

And I'm Rebecca Hines. And Lisa, it's one of those fun episodes where have no idea what we're talking about. So why don't you kick us off with today's question? Well,

Lisa Dieker: 0:21

so I have a question. But I've asked my friend Camille Gardner, our friend, Camille Gardner to stay with us one more time, because I want to kick off, how do you get students with disabilities their driver's license, and Camille has been the mom who texted me a picture and said, Look, we got one, we got one. And I think her story and her journey is just one that we all can

Camille Gardner: 0:56

Thank you for having me back.

Lisa Dieker: 0:58

So we would love for you just to share kind of a little bit of your story, and I'll kick it off with, you know, Josh had a life coach, and I wasn't going to let him drive I literally wasn't like coach said, Look, if you let your child learn to drive, you have more power over him than anything on the planet. I'm like, What? And he said, Yeah, he said, If you tell him that he can't

Camille Gardner: 1:36

So I think, you know, I have had to say, but you know, the journey kind of start when Andrew was born, right? I always tell parents, when I talk to new parents, you kind of have to think about what the endgame is, and kind of work backwards. And Andy and I decided what Andrew was born, that we were going to treat him just like any other child and provide opportunities to him. So I think if you want your son or daughter to drive a car, you definitely should start by riding a bicycle, which seems really simple, but I think it is 10% of the population of people with Down syndrome ever learn how to ride a bicycle. And I think only 20% of the population of people with autism ever learn how to ride a bicycle. So that you know you think about it, you have to navigate the

Rebecca Hines: 3:58

And Camille, that's, that's that's something I would have never thought about. And that's that's a great point. But I have a really specific question. So so we know Andrew has Down syndrome Did he? Did he have a problem with the reading the level of the driving test and the driving materials?

Camille Gardner: 4:19

Andrew is a good he's a good reader. We taught him how to read at a very young age using flashcards which is another thing I highly recommend to family so he did not have a problem with the reading level. So we were fortunate, fortunate in that and in like so I don't know if you can delete this. He and you know you he can't Well, I'm not gonna even say that. No, he did not have

Lisa Dieker: 4:51

I'll say what I think you might want to say and that is that the test is online and there isn't anything illegal by reading that test aloud to a child. I'm the one who does Did that so I'll take that one on the podcast, because again, that was an accommodation Josh got in life, it's accommodation he would have gotten at the, at the site. So Josh was, you know, he has Tourette's and

Camille Gardner: 5:41

And I think the Florida Virtual School Class, it was, that was really a benefit, because it wasn't just sit down and read the book, it was you took the class, and we kind of sometimes did that together, sometimes the computer read it, sometimes he would read it, you took quizzes, they were like video, so there was a lot more, it was much more interactive than just here, go go read

Rebecca Hines: 6:20

And then so, you know, that brings up a great point, I don't know, maybe one of you guys do. But even this idea of you know, the importance of the actual reading of it really is more so, you know, a functional ability to read for a driver, you know, and and being able to read those signs. And so I'm sure as a mom, I am sure you prepared materials to ensure for your son safety,

Camille Gardner: 6:51

Right, right. Yes. And you know, so when we went down, after he got his permit, and I call to take these classes I thought, well, maybe it's better for someone that has two brakes in the car to practice with him for the very first time rather than just him and I. And so we went on to take our classes at the Florida Safety Council. And I think it was the second class and I said to drive? I said, we can go if you drive. And so like little things like that. And he was like, Okay, let's go, let's you know, I'll drive. And so as he started to realize that driving meant some freedom. And so he was like, well, I'll drive there but you drive home. I said, Oh, no, no, I said, if you drive there, you have to drive home. And so he would do that. And then even when he finally have been, I guess that to me, that was still life changing. Maybe he now he has been on I-4 and he has been on 408. But maybe he never like traveled on that regularly. But that's still there's, like I said, still life changing and still well worth the time and effort of teaching him.

Lisa Dieker: 10:44

And I know many, many young adults are choosing not to even get their license because there's Ubers, and all of those kinds of things. But again, I think for our families and more rural more secluded settings, or if you didn't live near a community, you know, that's that what I loved what you said, is that gradual, like, you know, again, you don't have to get your driver's license in

Rebecca Hines: 11:37

do, I actually want to pose a question of my own. Because I'm coming at this from a slightly different angle than the both of you. My nephew who has severe cerebral palsy is not he's not physically going to be able to drive traditionally. And I think that, because of his specificity and other things, I think, even in a modified vehicle, I think that's going to be tricky. However,

Camille Gardner: 12:42

I think I'm excited, you know, all the self driving cars, I think that's going to be a great opportunity. And I don't know if that will be a special license or you know how that will work or not. But it certainly is going to open up more opportunities for people to be able to be more independent with transportation, because transportation is a huge issue, I would say, it's

Lisa Dieker: 13:23

I'll just add that, you know, Becky, and I have had the privilege of working with several students who are blind. And we know that, you know, if you're blind driving is not going to be an option, but I think was self driving vehicles. I think not only is it going to be probably not maybe a license is my guess. But more of an ability to know that you're where you're going. And

Camille Gardner: 14:20

thing real quick, just for any of your listeners, if you're interested in teaching your son or daughter how to run into a bicycle. Through the Down Syndrome foundation of Florida, we partner with a company called I can shine each year they have special bikes that they use to teach individuals how to ride a two wheel bicycle that just starts off as kind of like a rolling pin at the

Lisa Dieker: 15:23

well thank you again for being passionate and and advice. And what a great thing. So again, it's I can ride, I can shine, I can shine, and it's for bicycle and for families. Well, thank you for sharing that resource, as always, and I know you do so much in our community, too. How many kids have you gotten to ride bikes in our community?

Camille Gardner: 15:41

Our 10th annual bike camp we teach 40 40 kiddos a year so

Lisa Dieker: 15:45

so got it. So well. Thank you for making that difference. And I know your organization does so much for so many. So well. We thank you for joining us again on this podcast. And if you have questions, you can phone us and find them in to put them on Facebook or send them to us on Twitter @accesspractical. Thank you.

Rebecca Hines: 16:02

Right Camille?

Camille Gardner: 16:03

Thank you